Pollution Information Tasmania

Telling the Truth About Toxics in Tasmania

Pollution Information Tasmania (PIT) was formed in July 2009.

The statement announcing the formation of the PIT website stated that "government at all levels is failing to apply the precautionary principle on pollutants by supporting polluting industries and not protecting public and environmental health. This website will provide information to help lift community and government awareness about the serious issues concerning toxicants and their impact on human health and the environment. Our internationally promoted clean green image is undermined by a polluted Tasmania."

PIT-SourceWatch website allows anyone to access information about pollution issues and also to upload information and alter content when new information becomes available. The website is independent of government & industry and its primary focus is directed to the support of One Health principles. The website aims to incorporate primary research from Tasmania on Human, Animal and Environmental health issues; data is presented under various webpages, however, readers are encouraged to use the search mode to find cross-over information on other PIT webpages.

Because the site aims to be accessible to all Tasmanians, information may not have been recently reviewed by professionals with relevant expertise. The content of any article or comment may recently have been changed, vandalised or altered by another user.

As a result, while every effort is made to ensure that the content is up to date and reliable, PIT’s network participants cannot guarantee the accuracy of information presented on the site. PIT does not accept any responsibility or liability to any person acting or relying on the information presented on the website or incorporated into it by reference. Individual users remain responsible for assessing the relevance and accuracy of any information presented on the website.

The National Toxics Network Inc. published an overview article entitled: Toxic Tasmania in 2010. National Toxics Network Inc

Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network (TPEHN)
The Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network (TPEHN) is a network of people dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of all Tasmanians and the environment. TPEHN will work with other organizations to promote preventative health strategies that will assist the community in reducing the risk of chronic illness that can be caused or exacerbated by toxicants in our environment. Our work encompasses a broad range of issues including toxicology, regulation and monitoring, contaminated sites, pollution,legislative reform and community education.

TPEHN will focus its research on developing One Health strategies and will:

(1) provide advocacy with other Tasmanian and national organizations including lobbying politically,

(2) collate research findings,

(3) assist in policy development, and

(4) advocate for people whose health has been affected by failures in regulation and control of environmental contaminants.

The World Health Organization acknowledges that proper environmental management is the key to avoiding the quarter of all preventable illnesses which are directly caused by environmental factors.

TPEHN aims to work towards lifting community and government awareness about the serious issues of toxic substances and their impact on human health, the health of our wildlife, domestic animals and the environment. TPEHN will focus on toxicants in air, soil, water, agricultural and processed food and consumer products. People working with the TPEHN have experience in the areas of public health, animal health or environmental management.

'''Become involved! We would love to hear from you. Go to our contact details.'''

Community Consultation with Government on Public & Environmental Health Investigations
For many people in the community who are at the very beginning of dealing with the health effects from pollution in the environment, it can be daunting to work out how to achieve positive outcomes. Governments and corporations are formidable and typically want to avoid the consequences of any responsibility they may have for the problems caused by environmental contaminants or ineffective public health investigations.

A number of guides for community members have been developed both in the United States and in Australia that provide useful advice to communities starting out on their campaign. The guides make for essential reading for people working on human health risks associated with environmental contaminants and the need for population based human and environmental health surveys:LEAD Action News Guide for Community Consultation with Government;National Toxics Network Community Engagement Campaign;U.S. Center for Health Environment and Justice - The Ten Rules of Community Organising and Assessing Health Problems in Local Communities.

Specific topics include:

 * Contaminated Areas and Sites - A to Z
 * Air pollution in Tasmania
 * Food quality in Tasmania
 * Landfill pollution in Tasmania
 * Marine toxicology and pollution in Tasmania
 * One Health - Human, Animal & Environmental Health in Tasmania
 * Endocrine disrupting chemicals in Tasmania
 * Toxic heavy metals in Tasmania
 * Water pollution in Tasmania

International Conventions
TPEHN supports the work of the Australian National Toxics Network and the principles outlined in the 5 International Chemical Conventions. :

• The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal - 1989 • The Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa - 1991

• The Waigani Convention' to Ban the Importation into Forum Countries of Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes and to Control the Transboundary Movements and Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South Pacific region - 1995

• The Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade - 1998

• The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants - 2001

Tasmanian Ecotoxicology Research Fund
Environment Tasmania and Pollution Information Tasmania, with fund-patron Peter Cundall OAM publicly launched the Tasmania Ecotoxicology Research Fund (TETRF) in northern Tasmania on 20 November 2009 here PDF. The fund's first educational brochure about the impacts of pesticides on Tasmania’s drinking water - ''WARNING! - POISONED WATER?'' - was also launched in November 2009; it will be distributed widely throughout Tasmania. here PDF

“The formation of the Tasmanian Ecotoxicology Research Fund (TETRF) is the idea of several concerned Tasmanian individuals and groups who feel it is definitely time that our community became involved in an issue where governments have failed us. If Tasmania is to maintain its clean-green image and ultimately a healthy and toxic-free environment, urgent action is needed,” said Simon Branigan, Policy Coordinator for Environment Tasmania”. [http://www.sourcewatch.org/images/6/6d/TETRF.pdf TETRF- What is it? here PDF ]

TETRF will support community-based action on pollution issues and publish relevant information on a range of man-made chemicals and heavy metal and their impacts within the Tasmanian environment. The fund aims to support university research studies into eco-toxicology.

An advisory board to TETRF includes co-founders Drs Alison Bleaney and David Obendorf Currently the TETRF is managed and audited by Environment Tasmania Inc. and donations are warmly welcomed; all donations will be invoiced by ET Inc. The Tasmanian Public & Environment Health Network [TPEHN] is now a member of ET Inc. and our network looks forward to contributing to Tasmania's peak environmental NGO and assist in the formulation of environmental health policy.

TPEHN Pamphlets and Media Releases

 * "WARNING! - POISONED WATER?" WARNING! - POISONED WATER? TPEHN Pamphlet, January 2010


 * "Toxic Tasmania or Clean & Green?" Toxic Tasmania or Clean & Green? TPEHN Pamphlet, February 2011

Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network, Media Releases

 * Dr Alison Bleaney, "Scientists raise the alarm over common herbicide", TPEHN Media Release, 13 June, 2011.


 * Dr Alison Bleaney, "Human health before forestry business" TPEHN Press Release, 6 February 2011


 * Dr Alison Bleaney, "Human health first - No pulp mill!" TPEHN Press Release, 6 February 2011


 * Dr Alison Bleaney, "Community Groups Demand Premier Take Action on Water Safety - New Victorian research shows the way" Background to Press Release dated 2 February 2011 TPEHN Media Release, 2 February 2011


 * Dr Alison Bleaney, "Tasmanians Exposed to 77 Dangerous Pesticides on New Australian Toxic Hit List", TPEHN Media Release, 22 July, 2010.


 * Dr Alison Bleaney, "US-EPA Weighing Impacts Of Chemical Exposures On Diabetes, Obesity" The aggressive chemical push - Tasmanian Times on-line article, 15 November, 2010

Contact details

 * Dr. Alison Bleaney from Break O’Day Catchment Risk Group - sthelensmedc@vision.net.au (Public & environmental health issues)
 * Dr. David Leaman, geohydrologist based in Hobart
 * Isla MacGregor - Toxic Heavy Metals Taskforce Tasmania and Tasmanian Public & Environmental Health Network - opal@intas.net.au
 * Dr. David Obendorf - davidobendorf@tassie.net.au (Public & environmental health issues); [Phone: Int + Aust Code + 3 6234 5561 ; in Australia 03 62345561]
 * Dr Ellen Naef - ellen.naef@bigpond.com (Tasmanian Public and Environmental Health Network)
 * Lindsay Phillips and Kay Seltitzas - Toxic Heavy Metals Taskforce Tasmania, (TPEHN) kay.seltitas@hotmail.com
 * Rob & Angelica Allen from Quality Air Tasmania - anji@bordernet.com.au (Air Pollution issues)

Related SourceWatch articles

 * The dawning of a new age of toxicology
 * Mechanisms linking chronic exposure to synthetic chemicals and disease
 * David Bartlett
 * Contaminated sites in Tasmania
 * Environment Protection Authority (Tasmania)
 * Persistent Organic Pollutants in Tasmanian wildlife

External resources
National Toxics Network Inc (Toxic Tasmania - January 2010).

The LEAD Group Inc. (Lead Education Abatement and Design Group).

Alliance for a Clean Environment (Western Australia Alliance for a Clean Environment Contaminated Sites).

Mineral Policy Institute (Mining Monitor publication of Mineral Policy Institute).

Environment Tasmania (Tasmania's environment council).

Pesticide Action Network North America (Pesticide Action Network North America).

Center for Health, Environment and Justice (US Center for Health, Environment and Justice).

Union of Concerned Scientists (Scientific Integrity - A to Z Guide to Political Interference in Science).

United States Environmental Protection Agency (United States Environmental Protection Agency USEPA).

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry).

World Health Organization (World Health Organization public health and environment).

Environmental Health News (Publication of Environmental Health Sciences).

Institute of Science in Society (ISIS provides information promoting social accountability and ecological sustainability in science).

True Food Network (Consumer choice and health issues on GM Food).

Biological Farmers of Australia (The Organic Crusader Protecting Consumers).

Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA is part of a global network of concerned medical professionals).

Additive Alert (Your Guide to Safer Shopping).